Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o has made plenty of headlines lately, but it’s his ability to play the linebacker position in the NFL that I’m going to address here. Interestingly, I think Te’o’s draft stock was bound to take a hit this time of the year, girlfriend hoax or not, simply because he’s a somewhat incomplete player at a “non-premium” position.

Scouting Report

Manti Te’o was an extremely productive player at Notre Dame, averaging 122 tackles over the past three seasons. At 6’2’’, 250 pounds, Te’o has prototypical inside linebacker size, capable of fitting into either a 4-3 or 3-4. He’s a strong, powerful player who stands up well against the run; he’s probably the best run-defending inside linebacker in this class.

Te’o is an instinctual player who follows the ball well. He’s rarely fooled, diagnosing plays as well as any linebacker coming out this year and often a step ahead of everyone on the field. Te’o is strong enough to stand up at the point-of-attack, yet possesses enough lateral quickness to pursue ball-carriers down the line. In terms of run defense alone, he’s a first-round talent without a doubt.

Te’o isn’t quite as reliable in pass coverage. To his credit, the linebacker shed a lot of weight after the 2011 season to improve his quickness in coverage, and he led all linebackers in college football with seven interceptions in 2012. While Te’o’s straight-line speed is average, he can still make plays as a pass defender, especially when he’s asked to move laterally. At the 3:34 mark below, you can see Te’o trust what he sees and run with a quicker player underneath.

Te’o has trouble running downfield and he can’t be asked to consistently cover pass-catching tight ends at the next level. He’s better in underneath zones in which he can use his instincts than in man coverage where his lack of elite athleticism could show.

Overall, Te’o is a strong, aggressive linebacker who is a good bet for a lot of tackles in the NFL. His only weakness as a run defender is that, due to his short arms, he can have trouble getting off of blocks when offensive linemen get into his body. Nonetheless, if he can work to be even average in coverage in the NFL, he should have a long career.

Projection

Inside linebacker isn’t the most coveted position, but luckily for Te’o, there are a lot of teams seeking players like him. Because of that, I still think he’s going to get selected in the top 20 picks, and possibly in the top 10. Te’o’s range is pretty wide because of a variety of factors. His interviews will be important because he needs to ensure teams that he can be trusted.

Fit In Dallas

Te’o would play the “Sam” linebacker position in Dallas, and he’d probably be a good fit there. Although he didn’t play on the strong side at Notre Dame, Te’o’s strengths as a run defender would shine at the position, while his weaknesses in coverage could be covered up.

Adding Te’o to the mix with Sean Lee and Bruce Carter would probably create the top linebacker trio in the NFL, but the selection is still unlikely due to the team’s holes at other positions, namely the offensive and defensive lines. The ‘Boys would need to have Te’o rated very highly on their board to give him consideration with the 18th pick.

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